Mine works fine even with a cover on. Have you tried any other compatible phones to see whether it’s the car or charging plate?

If the phone is getting hot then that suggests the car side is working (as does the blue light) and the two devices are linking correctly. No current means no heat.

Are you using CarPlay or Android Auto at the same time? The charger is current limited so you may be needing more than the car delivers and it can‘t charge.

If the phone says it’s too hot then it may also be limiting the charging.

 

Thanks for the reply. To keep the conversation in context, I regularly charge my iPhone 12 mini on a wireless charger at home with zero issues. I only attempt to charge 1 phone on the i4 charger. The reality is, the tray is only big enough to take 1 phone anyway. I can charge the phone quickly and easily using the cars usb ports with zero issues. Yet the 2024 e drive 40:with the latest firmware (downloaded successfully last week) has not resolved the issue. I am starting to think it is a warranty issue.

 

I don't think you have to wait to 2924.
The 2025/26 iX3 Neue Klasse have charging with cooling.

 

If it’s working on another wireless charger then I fear you are probably right. Time to call your service team at BMW.

 

I have the same issue. Only 1 out of 5 phones is charging successfully (meaning slowly…) while for the others after a couple of seconds the light switch orange. Crap. Unbelievable also that usb c port are not allowing fast charging. What a shame!

 

Wireless chargers in BMW’s are well known to be more phone heaters than actual chargers. It’s a crappy design.

 

Do you have similar issues in your vehicle? My i4 had a firmware update a couple of weeks ago. The update specifically stated amongst other things designed to rectify wireless charging issues. Prior to the update the blue light came on, but quickly turned off and charging stopped. With the update, the blue light turns on when the phone is on the wireless charger, but the wireless charging icon on the screen turns on and off every 20 seconds or so. No actual charging takes place. The phone however becomes a great hand warmer :0(

 

Heat from a wireless charger usually means poor alignment of the coils in the charger with those in the phone. If you have a case on the phone, try taking it off. Try rotating the phone so the top edge of the phone is the other way.

 

Hello, I always remove the case on my Samsung phones. The same for the Iphone I remove the magnetic case as well. I will try rotating the phone as soon as the light turn orange. And let you know.

 

I am two days into my i4 journey and I am right there with you. The existing phone charger implementation is awful. I too find the phone gets very hot without getting much if any charge. Lack of alignment magnets means no way to ensure correct placement each time. And the location right behind the cupholders is bad (in this case more the fault of the cupholder placement.) Removing the case is not a solution.

And so I have basically written off the existing wireless charger (I'll keep my sunglass clips there) and am trying to come up with a decent alternative charging strategy with little luck so far. I made a quick attempt to mount a Magsafe puck into the carger area, but the location of the USB port right in front sticking up makes accessing the charger even worse (If someone can explain why that's a USB-A connector while everything else in the car is USB-C I'd love to hear it).

I tried plugging a charger into the lighter socket but it seems like it stayed powered even when the car was off, which I don't want (can anyone confirm this? Maybe it turns off after a while?)

All I've got so far is a cable plugged into the USB-C port in the center console and I'll just plug the phone in on longer trips, otherwise keep it in my pocket. Not great but maybe the best available option for now. Anyone have anything better?

 

There is a usb port in the arm rest tray. It cannot be used for a USB stick for music (the one in front of the wireless charger can) Its probably easier to charge your phone from there. Hopefully, the phone can still cast CarPlay to the infotainment system if you want it to.

 

Plugged in charging doesn't heat my phone at all in my i4. 😀

 

An easy fix that I made. And thank you Aliexpress. You don't need to remove the phone back cover and no trouble either with the magnetic back cover

 

Some phones just simply don't work with it 🙁
My wife's Samsung, no problem. Kid's iPhone, yup.
My Google Pixel, has never worked. The blue light occasionally comes on for a second or two like the car is trying but then goes off & no charge.
I fear I'm a victim of the Pixel camera bump.

 

Agreed, I always owned Samsung phones and never experienced any overheating. However similar issues exist with Audi's wireless chargers and apple products I believe if looking at reports.

 

Does anyone experience this retrofit from AliExpress to enjoy a reliable wireless FAST charging? Looks clever design with the device to be plugged into the cigarette lighter to enjoy full 12V power! Comments on AliExpress are good, but before buying and testing, please share any experience you might have among the community. Many thanks

 

I saw something like that elsewhere on the web and it specifically said not for models with built-in wireless charging, for what it’s worth.